


After the Shot

by TheWritingGiant



Series: Who's Ready For Flu Shots? [2]
Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:07:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27142885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingGiant/pseuds/TheWritingGiant
Summary: What happens after Jay and Hailey leave the precinct? Do we finally get to know why Jay is so afraid of needles? A follow up to 'Tis the Season, Cold and Flu Season'.
Relationships: Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton
Series: Who's Ready For Flu Shots? [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981295
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	After the Shot

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little follow up to to my last story. Enjoy

Jay laid in his bed, unable to keep the smile off his face as his fingers stroked up and down Hailey's spine. It had finally happened, after months and months of denial and repressing their feelings; they had finally taken that leap. And now they were at his apartment, in his bed, cuddled together in the afterglow. His fingers ran over her soft skin as she laid tucked against his side. Her own fingers moved lightly over his chest, playing connect the dots with his freckles. It had been worth the wait, though the irony was not lost on him that it took something he hated so much to get them to this stage. He looked down at the blonde head resting on his shoulder and dropped a kiss to the top of it, he got to do that now, and it pleased him to no end. Hailey let out a hum and her fingers stopped their tracing. "What's up?"

"Nothing," he shook his head. "I felt like kissing you, but I'm too comfortable to move so," he pressed another kiss to her hair. 

Hailey twisted in his arms, he made a noise of protest and tightened his grip around her waist, not wanting her to move away. But she wasn't, she simply propped herself upon his chest and pressed a kiss to his lips. They'd shared all kinds of kisses over the last few hours, fast and frantic, deep and slow, biting and nipping. Still, this one might just have been his favourite, it was quick and firm, little more than a peck, but the smile on her face when she pulled away, that's what sealed it. It was playful, not a word he'd typically use to describe either of them, but he liked that he could use describe them together.

"You are way too deep in thought, Halstead," she smoothed her thumb over his temple. "Do we need to talk about what's happening?"

"We together?" he quirked his head to the side.

"I want us to be," she replied.

"Then I'm all good," he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You?"

"No worries here," she leaned in and kissed him again. He changed his mind, that was his favourite kiss. It was soft and gentle, but it felt deeper, more profound; like it spoke all the words they weren't ready to say. Then she settled back down against his side, content and warm. "So, you ever gonna tell me?"

"Tell you what?" There were lots of things he could tell her, like his debate over which kiss was his favourite. Or that he was already kind of in love with her but way too early for that. Besides, he was pretty sure she already knew.

"Why you're so terrified of needles."

"I told you," he shrugged. "I've been afraid of them since I was a kid."

"Most people outgrow childhood fears, Jay," she countered. "Or at least learn to deal with them. I mean, I still hate frogs, but I don't run screaming from them anymore."

"Frogs?" That didn't sound right. There was no way his partner, the rough and tumble tomboy, who took down criminals twice her size with ease was scared of frogs. She drank grown men under the table and was able to throw a tighter spiral he did, Hailey could not be afraid of a tiny amphibian. It just didn't make sense.

"Easy with the judgment there, needle boy," she poked his ribs in punishment. "But yes, frogs."

"How does that happen?" He couldn't wrap his mind around it. "You have a bad run-in with a Kermit puppet or something?"

"Pappouli had a cottage up on Lake Winnebago," Hailey shifted to sit up against the headboard, the blanket tucked under her arms. "Whenever we'd go, he'd always take us camping for a few days to give my parents some kid-free time. There was this pond near the campsite that was always teeming with frogs. One time when I was, I don't know, six maybe, my brother's decided to prank me. One night, while I was asleep, they raided the pond, brought up buckets full of frogs and released them in our tent. I woke up with a big, fat bullfrog sitting on my face. There were dozens of them, everywhere, on my sleeping bag, in my sleeping bag, everywhere. Cold, slimy, and just gross. I tried to run, but I couldn't get out of the tent, those little assholes had locked the zippers together. It took almost an hour for Pappouli to get me out, while those things just kept climbing on me." She shuddered at the memory

"And since then no love for frogs?" he sat up beside her.

"No, are you kidding me? Frogs are all clammy and oozy, and they got those creepy beady little eyes, no thank you." He laughed as he felt another small tremble run through her. She smacked his shoulder. "Come on; turn about's fair play."

His laughter died almost instantly, and Hailey could feel the tension he was carrying from where their arms were pressed together. She reached down and took his hand in hers, threading their fingers together. "Hey," she lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of his. "It doesn't have to be tonight all right? But if keeping you distracted while getting a shot is gonna be the rest of our lives, I would like to know why."

Jay really liked the sound of that 'rest of their lives' part, but he wouldn't tell her that, not yet. He sat up straighter and closed his eyes tight for a moment, trying to keep the memories at bay; she was right after all. Hailey settled her head on his shoulder and ran her thumb over his knuckles. It was her way of telling him to take all the time he needed, she was there, and she wasn't going anywhere. "Afghanistan," he sighed after a few minutes.

"What?" she lifted her head from its resting place, her deep blue eyes full of concern.

"I was scared of needles when I was a kid; that part's always been true. But you're right I was able to deal with it as I got older. And then the humvee happened." Hailey already knew about the accident that had led to his medical discharge from the army. They had talked about it several times over the years. She knew about the ambush. His injuries and recover at Landstuhl. His difficulties adjusting back to civilian life. But there was a moment in between that he'd never told her about, that he'd never told anyone about. "I came too for a bit in the helicopter. My eyes were blurry, and they stung so bad, I could barely see. I couldn't hear anything over the noise of the rotor, and, I don't know, it was like someone turned my sense of touch up to twelve."

He took in a sharp breath, and Hailey tightened her grip on his hand. "The medics were struggling to get the IV in place," he continued. "Each time they tried, it felt like I was being stabbed with a hot poker. Then, I don't know how, maybe it was a fault in the device, or maybe we hit some turbulence or something, but the needle snapped off. It felt like my whole arm was on fire, but worse, it spread so quickly through my whole body. I passed out not long after that."

"Jay," Hailey breathed.

"And I know," he kept going, unable to stop now that he'd started. "That something like that isn't likely to ever happen again. But it's all I think about every time I have to get a shot. What if it breaks again, where will the tip migrate to this time, how much damage will it do on the way, will it burn like before? It just cycles through my mind, and I work myself up, and then I freak out. And, well, you've seen the rest."

He looked down at his lap and chewed the inside of his lip while Hailey sat silently beside him, processing what he'd just said. "I wish you'd told me sooner," she whispered gently, finally. "I get why you didn't, but wish you had."

"It's not like it would have made a difference," he shrugged, picking at the comforter. "I still would have had to get the shot."

"Yeah, but I would have handled things differently," Hailey shifted, so she was facing him, and reached up to smooth some of the hair off his forehead. "There wouldn't have been any sneak attacks or trying to trick you. I would have just been there, talking you through the worst of it, buying the drinks when it was over. I always felt kinda guilty before; it's a little worse now."

"It's fine," Jay dismissed. "It's not like I was forthcoming with the story."

"Still," she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, it was the same soft type earlier, and yeah, that the one was his favourite, he was sure of it. "Thank you for telling me."

He gave her a small smile and scooted back down, Hailey followed and settled into his side again. They were quiet, Hailey's breath skating over his chest, while he amused himself by playing with strands of her golden hair. He liked how soft it was, how smoothy it slid between his fingers. He wasn't sure how long they laid there, basking in the silence when a thought ran through his mind. He couldn't help but chuckle. "What?" Hailey asked softly, her voice thick with sleep.

"I can't," Jay shook his head, his chest still shaking with silent laughter. "You'll kill me, or worse, break up with me."

"Spill."

"I just," he bit his lip to stifle the laughter still threatening to spill. "For a second there I really wanted to start making ribbit noises."

Hailey smacked him hard in the stomach as his laughter finally broke through. "I changed my mind," she turned away from him taking blankets with her. "I don't feel bad any more, next year I'm gonna tase you."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.


End file.
